Ross Valley fire captain dies after cancer fight

Rick Addicks, 55, of Bel Marin Keys started his career as volunteer with Stinson Beach Fire Protection District before working for the Ross and Ross Valley departments.

A Ross Valley firefighter died from complications of occupational esophageal cancer, the department said.

Capt. Rick Addicks died Friday, the department announced. The Bel Marin Keys resident was 55.

Interim Fire Chief Dan Mahoney said Mr. Addicks was passionate about helping others even while he fought the disease.

“Rick’s empathy and compassion made him a special person you could feel comfortable reaching out to,” he said. “I have called Rick a number of times asking for his assistance in guiding me through some personal challenges of my own. He was a special person.”

John Bagala, president of Marin Professional Firefighters, IAFF Local 1775, said that all 34 fire stations and fire administrative buildings across Marin County lowered their U.S. flags to half-staff to honor Mr. Addicks.

Bagala worked with him when he was part of the local’s executive board. Mr. Addicks also co-directed the union’s behavioral health team that assisted firefighters who experienced post-traumatic stress, Bagala said.

“At the end of the day, he just kept giving back to the entire fire service of Marin and the greater North Bay,” Bagala said.

Mr. Addicks started his firefighting career as a volunteer for the Stinson Beach Fire Protection District. He joined the Ross fire service in 2002 and became a part of the Ross Valley Fire Department 10 years later, Mahoney said. He also served in the Marin County Urban Search and Rescue Team and he led the Critical Incident Support Team.

Bagala praised Mr. Addicks’ mentorship and training of Ross Valley firefighters.

“They’re still providing a service to the community,” he said. “So, in a certain way, Rick is working through them.”

In addition to firefighting, Mr. Addicks worked as an attorney who specialized in business law and real estate planning, according to his online resume. He graduated from the University of San Francisco School of Law.

“Having a firefighter who was also an attorney, obviously there were advantages to that, but at the end of the day, he was just a great human being,” Bagala said.

Bagala said it was a shock when Mr. Addicks was diagnosed with cancer.

“We went with a guy who was one day literally on a fire engine to the next day, he was in the fight for his life,” he said.

Ross Valley firefighter-engineer Sid Jamotte said that he worked with Mr. Addicks for 12 years.

“Capt. Addicks was one of the most impactful mentors I have met in the fire service,” he said. “His courage to stand up for what he believed in was unmatched. I will miss his honesty, wide-ranging education and smile.”

Jamotte, Local 1775’s health and safety chair, said the International Association of Firefighters has linked firefighting turnout gear such as the protective clothing worn by Mr. Addicks to chemicals that can affect different body systems and increase risks for certain cancers.

Jamotte said Mr. Addicks’ death should not be in vain. He said every fire department should conduct annual cancer screenings, and every firefighter should have access to EsoGuard, a DNA test that can detect esophageal cancer.

“Imagine if that test was available to Capt. Addicks earlier in his career,” Jamotte said.

Ross Valley is one of the few fire agencies in Marin County that have annual assessment screenings for cancer, he said. The department also implemented a decontamination policy to reduce exposure to carcinogens after structure fires, Jamotte said.

“For those departments that have not acted, Rick would ask, ‘What are you waiting for?’” he said.

Mr. Addicks is survived by his wife Kristen and their children Skye and Casey. Donations in his honor and on behalf of his family may be made to the Marin Firefighters Foundation. Checks may be made out to the foundation and mailed to Marin Professional Firefighters, c/o Rick Addicks Family, P.O. Box 15, Fairfax, CA 94978.

Plans for a memorial service are pending, Mahoney said.

The Ross Valley Fire Department serves the Fairfax, Ross, San Anselmo, and Sleepy Hollow.